If someone in your family is queer or trans, the holidays might already feel heavy for them. Here’s how to make sure they know they’re welcome:

Use the right names and pronouns. If you mess up, correct yourself quickly and move on.

Acknowledge their relationships with the same respect you give everyone else. Introduce partners by name. Make space for them in family photos. Treat their love as real, valid, and worth celebrating.

Don’t ask invasive questions. Questions about bodies, identity, or personal medical decisions are not appropriate dinner conversation.

Speak up when others don’t. If someone misgenders your family member or makes a disrespectful comment, say something. “Actually, they use they/them pronouns” or “That’s not how we talk about family” goes a long way.

–BWHI